Help with Darts

I've got problems with a skirt I'm making. The waist darts are making wierd peaks at my thigh area. How do I get rid of this?

 

I'm not really able to picture what you're doing. Waist darts that extend to the thigh?

I've been sewing for over 35 years and I don't think I've ever done a skirt that had darts at the waist. There are many eras of costuming I've not done, though. What is it you're making?

Darts require pressing, with steam, if the fabric can take it.

 

If could be that you aren't sewing exactly on the dart lines, or that there's a problem with the point. I don't know how much this will help you, but I've learned not to backstitch at the end of a dart. Instead, sew right to the tip, cut the threads long, and hand-tie a knot at the tip using a pin or needle to guide the knot down to the fabric. That helps the point from getting weird little puckers that stick out.

 

Um, well, I think it's mostly due to me having a big butt, that when I make skirts I have to take 'tucks' or darts from the waistband down. This pattern had them built in, but I had to make them a little wider. Apparently my modifications aren't the best, because they won't work out.

 

If you make them wider, you might need to make them a little longer, too. Keeing the right proportions should fix the problem.

 

...and at the end of the dart, sew close to the edge, then off the material. I learned that trick in a class and eliminated the weird pokey thing I always had going on.

 

Ugh, it's on my Leather and Lace skirt, so I think part of my problem is that I'm sewing through three layers (lace, net, and satin) so it's pretty bulky. I'll try a little bit more though.